Culvert Inspection Logger
Culvert condition log — barrel, inlet/outlet, blockage %, joint separation, piping and roadway settlement signs; GPS-tagged, offline-first.
New culvert inspection
Inspect on a 2–5 year cycle by size and risk, plus after major storm events; large culverts (>1.5 m) deserve the short end.
Field guide: Culvert Inspection Logger
Culverts fail upward: the barrel rusts or separates quietly underground, soil washes into the gap (piping), a void grows under the pavement, and the first visible symptom is a dip in the road — or a hole where the road used to be. This logger captures the leading indicators in the order they appear: invert rust-through in CMP, joint separation, piping at the ends, and finally settlement in the roadway above, which is flagged as a warning right in the picker.
Blockage gets its own quick estimate because hydraulic failure is independent of structural condition — a perfectly sound barrel at 75% blockage floods the road just the same. Storm-season exports sorted by blockage percentage are effectively your pre-monsoon cleaning program, with GPS coordinates the vactor crew can navigate to.
Field tips
- Inspect from both ends with a strong light — mid-barrel deformation shows as an interrupted light line.
- Probe around the outlet for soft ground: piping voids announce themselves to a rod long before the surface sinks.
- After storms, a newly perched outlet (water dropping out of the barrel) means the channel degraded — note it; it accelerates outlet scour from then on.
Records are stored only in this browser (localStorage) — export regularly. This tool aids field documentation; it does not replace your agency's official inspection procedures or engineering judgment.
Culvert Inspection Logger — Culvert condition log — barrel, inlet/outlet, blockage %, joint separation, piping and roadway settlement signs; GPS-tagged, offline-first. Free, offline-first and GPS-aware: open it on any phone, log in seconds, and hand your GIS team clean GeoJSON.
About Culvert Inspection Logger
Culverts fail upward: the barrel rusts or separates quietly underground, soil washes into the gap (piping), a void grows under the pavement, and the first visible symptom is a dip in the road — or a hole where the road used to be. This logger captures the leading indicators in the order they appear: invert rust-through in CMP, joint separation, piping at the ends, and finally settlement in the roadway above, which is flagged as a warning right in the picker.
How to use Culvert Inspection Logger
- 1Enter the culvert id / crossing and tap 📍 GPS to pin the culvert's exact location (or type coordinates).
- 2Work through the culvert checklist — every field matches what a real inspection program records.
- 3Pick a condition on the Good / Fair / Poor / Critical / failing scale; actionable findings are tallied automatically.
- 4Add notes and log the inspection — it saves instantly to your device, even with zero signal.
- 5Export the round as CSV for your asset system, GeoJSON for the GIS, or print a clean report.
Why use Culvert Inspection Logger?
- ✓100% free, no sign-up — built for crews, not per-seat licences
- ✓Offline-first: records save to your device instantly and survive dead zones
- ✓One-tap GPS tagging with accuracy capture on every record
- ✓Exports CSV for asset systems, GeoJSON for GIS, and print-ready reports
- ✓Checklist and guidance aligned with FHWA Culvert Inspection Manual (Supplement to BIRM)
Frequently asked questions
What does 'piping' mean at a culvert?+
Piping is water flowing along the outside of the barrel instead of through it, carrying soil with it. It starts at leaky joints or poorly compacted backfill, creates voids around the barrel, and is the classic precursor to a sinkhole in the roadway. Soft spots, depressions near the ends, or muddy outflow during dry weather are the field signatures.
Why do corrugated metal culverts fail at the invert first?+
The invert (floor) carries constant flow, abrasion from bedload, and the most aggressive wet-dry cycling, so galvanizing wears off there first and the steel perforates. A CMP with a rusted-through invert can sometimes be saved by paving the invert or slip-lining — if it's caught before deformation begins.
How much blockage is too much?+
Hydraulically, capacity loss is worse than the percentage suggests because blockages concentrate at the inlet. Most agencies trigger cleaning at 25–50% and treat >75% as an urgent pre-storm work order. Repeated blockage at the same crossing usually signals an undersized barrel or an upstream debris source worth fixing.
When should a culvert be replaced rather than repaired?+
Common triggers: deformation over ~10% of rise (shape failure progresses), multiple separated joints with active piping, invert perforation with embankment voids, or repeated overtopping from undersizing. Lining (CIPP/slip-line) suits sound-shape barrels with surface deterioration; shape problems and undersizing need replacement.
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